


Just for One Night

by LadyStrangeandUnusual (Dream_Wreaver)



Category: Beetlejuice - All Media Types, Beetlejuice - Perfect/Brown & King
Genre: Deetzlands, First Dates, Fluffy drabbles, I Will Go Down With This Ship, Multi, Polyamory, Promises, reflections on death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-24
Updated: 2019-10-24
Packaged: 2021-01-02 01:43:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21153512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dream_Wreaver/pseuds/LadyStrangeandUnusual
Summary: When Halloween means the Maitlands can finally leave the house for a night, the Deetzes try to make it a night for their partners to remember





	Just for One Night

**Author's Note:**

> A friend asked for a Drabble with the Deetzlands going out on halloween on a date. Hope you enjoy!

Beetlejuice’s excitement for Halloween was unmatched by anyone. Naturally, a whole holiday about scaring the shit out of people would be right up his alley. He had plans for this year especially, big plans, because it was his and Lydia’s first Halloween together. Though, Lydia was honestly a little hesitant to let him out for the evening with how happy he was being about the prospect.

“I learned my lesson the last time,” Lydia confided in her four parents, “He needs a bit of a leash,”

“You could just… not let him out,” the Maitlands suggested, “As mad as he might get, he can’t stay mad at you for long,”

“While I love the fact that you guys are talking about me as though I’m not already here,” Beetlejuice said, popping up from behind Lydia’s chair and sliding his hands over her shoulders, “She doesn’t _ need _ to let me out for me to fuck shit up on Halloween night,”

“She doesn’t?” the adults exclaimed, now more worried than ever.

“Course not,” Beetlejuice snorted, “It’s _ Halloween_! Y’know, day of the dead for non-Latino spirits and all that?” when their expressions didn’t change, Beetlejuice rolled his eyes and sighed, “Look, for every predominant culture in a person’s former life, there’s a celebration to honor the dead. On that day, the boundary between the worlds grows super thin, and the spirits can return to the world of the living for one night.”

“But your mom said-”

“Yeah, well my mom’s a demon bitch,” Beetlejuice countered, “Anyways, she only restricted the practice to restless spirits still on earth. But I think Carmen said something about bringing it back the last time I was there? At any rate, it means you deadbeats,” he pointed at the Maitlands, “Can leave your house without turning into sandworm-chow for a change, now how’s _ that _ for a perk?”

“We…” Barbara breathed, “We can leave the house?”

“Only for a night,” Beetlejuice reminded her, “But yeah pretty much. I should warn ya though, for you two it’ll be all Cinderella rules. Last stroke of midnight comes and you ain’t back in your assigned haunting perimeters, welp, I at least hope ya made it worth your while,” he cackled darkly, “And you thought exorcism was bad Babs, let me tell ya,”

“No, that’s fine,” Adam stepped in front of her, “I think we’d rather you didn’t,”

“Beej,” Lydia instructed, “Go wait for me in my room,”

His eyes lit up, “Whatever you say babes,”

“_With _ all your clothes on,” Lydia added before he could pop off, “If you think you’re getting any after saying something like _ that _ you’re sadly mistaken,”

He pouted, but still disappeared. Lydia shook her head and turned back to her parents, “I know you don’t like thinking or hearing about what I may or may not get up to with him, but sometimes dangling sex is the only way to get him to listen,”

“Oh Lydia honey, that’s fine,” Delia spoke, “Whether the rest of them like to admit it or not, he _ is _ your husband, believe me, you wouldn’t be able to _ imagine _ some of the times I’ve needed to-”

“And on that note I think I’ll make do a disappearing act of my own,” Lydia said as she stood, “Just because I’m okay with you four being a thing doesn’t mean _ I _ wanna hear about it any more than any of _ you _ wanna hear about my sex life, real or imagined.”

And with those words, she departed too. The Maitlands were still in shock with the news that for a single night, they would be able to go out and see the world again. Sure, they couldn’t go any father than Winter River without a great risk, but even the thought of just leaving the house was enough to make the small town as exciting as the big city.

“I can’t believe it,” Barbara whispered, taking hold of Adam’s hands, “Adam, we could… we could _ leave _ for a night,”

“I know hon,” Adam nodded, “Just… imagine, being able to leave the house,” they hadn’t left since they’d died, “But what should we do?”

They began whispering amongst themselves and Delia turned to Charles, whispering in his own ear, “Charles, I think we have plans we need to make,”

They’d settled on making a reservation at six for one of the nicer restaurants in town. Because they didn’t know if Adam and Barbara would be able to be _ seen _ they made it for two but requested a booth in a nice secluded corner. A perfect setting for a date. When they revealed this to the Maitlands, Adam and Barbara had begun to cry. And crying had turned to hugging, turned to cuddling turned to making out. A scene which Lydia had walked in on and immediately walked out on, asking Beetlejuice if he had any brain bleach lying around.

But when Lydia found out, she agreed to stay home and watch the house. Beetlejuice was of course as petulant as ever about this prospect. So the Maitlands made a deal, if he could use a little bit of magic to keep the house safe while everyone was gone, Lydia wouldn’t _ need _ to stay home. A deal he readily agreed to. So when the unholiest of holy nights came upon them, two couples departed the Deetz-Maitland home. Charles and Delia were dressed as much as they could without it being too much for the town. Winter River wasn’t and never would be New York City, but there was no need to dress like country bumpkins. Delia found a dress that wasn’t too flashy on Barbara and loaned it to her. What they had discovered was that even if ghosts changed clothes, they couldn’t be seen by anyone not paranormally minded regardless of what it was they were wearing, as though the clothes disappeared with them. But again, as they didn’t know if anyone would be able to see the Maitlands they just tried to make them look nice without it being overwhelming.

Lydia let out a soft smile as she saw them all arm in arm. Beetlejuice gagged obnoxiously, but it was clear he was mostly kidding. Even he hadn’t been, the quadruple was too happy about actually being able to _ go out _ on a date they didn’t even notice.

“Have a good time!” Lydia called as she watched them from out on the porch.

They already were. Adam and Barbara were as excitable as children in a toy shop, at christmas time. And they were going over every little thing. Barbara even kicked off her heels to feel the grass beneath her feet. They ran and laughed and danced with wild abandon, absolutely jubilant. It took Charles and Delia longer to wrangle their spouses than they would have liked, namely because they just couldn’t bring themselves to end the joy to bring them to a restaurant where they likely wouldn’t be able to eat anything anyways.

The restaurant, unbeknownst to Charles and Delia, had been the very same place where Adam had proposed to Barbara so many years ago. It had taken him a long time to save up, for the ring and for the expensive (for a small town) meal. It made Adam and Barbara cry again to see it once more, they’d been planning to go there for their anniversary before their untimely demise, which meant that Charles and Delia spent another few minutes trying to calm them down, offering to go somewhere else if that would make them feel better.

“Oh no, it’s just,” Barbara said through her tears, “We’re so _ happy_, that we’re out, and that we get to share this with you,”

“Makes us feel like…” Adam choked, “Like we’re _ alive _ again, and we get to live our lives with you, the way we want to, without any limits.”

They exchanged kisses in a dark alley before making their way inside. As predicted, no one could see the Maitlands, but the table was there as requested. And there was a fine meal for the breathers interspersed with even better conversation. And if the waitstaff thought the “couple” odd they certainly weren’t about to complain. Word had quickly gotten round just how generous a man Charles Deetz could be if one treated him right. So they said nothing. And the four exited the restaurant, arm in arm and laughing over nothing. Sure, the night wasn’t scary, but it was long and rich and fulfilling. Because Winter River was so small a car mostly wasn’t necessary, everything was pretty much within walking distance, even on the outskirts of the town. They still had time, so they let Adam and Barbara choose the route home. And then, they ended up passing by the cemetery.

“Oh,” Charles and Delia were quiet as the Maitlands paused. They reached out and took a hand, squeezing tightly,

“We should go,” Delia suggested, already trying to pull Barbara away from where her gaze was fixed.

"Yes," Charles agreed, tugging on Adam's arm, "How about we all just head home and-"

“No,” the Maitlands said, “It’s alright,”

They wandered inside, finding their plots rather easily. Charles and Delia followed at a distance, knowing that this was something they couldn’t really intrude on. Only be there for support. Barbara knelt in front of her headstone, expression distant and eyes glassy. Adam was staring at her, hands on her shoulders as he stood behind her. Charles and Delia couldn’t stand how distant and separated they felt from their other halves -other fourths?- and went to them. Touch seemed to reassure them, bring them back to life -metaphorically speaking.

“You know, it’s funny,” Barbara said, still fixed on the marker of her own mortality as Charles put his arms under hers and hoisted her back up so they could be brought into the embrace, “I felt so… free, so _ alive _ tonight… For a moment I really forgot…” her breath caught, and she was tearing up again, “There was still so much I wanted to do, and now… we can’t even leave our house,”

“Shh,” Charles whispered in her ear, “It’s alright,”

“You’ve got us,” Delia reminded them, “And you’ll have us even after we die, and then we’ll all be stuck in that house together,”

“That’s a promise,” Charles told them, “Delia…”

His human wife looked at him, Charles inclined his head in a meaningful manner. They’d been wondering when would be the right time, since it hadn’t _ really _ been all that long since they’d decided to make this whole relationship a thing and not an experiment. But Charles and Delia had been sure way sooner than they’d expected. And Charles, ever the one for being prepared, had been carrying around something he hoped they would accept. Delia nodded,

“You know,” she began, trying to inject some wry humor in her voice, “Normally a first ‘date’ isn’t exactly the best time for such things,”

“But-” Charles stepped in and turned the Maitlands so they were facing their mortal counterparts, “We wanted to let you know for a while now, just how much this, how much _ you _ mean to us,”

“Charles, Delia?” Barbara and Adam tilted their heads to the side, clearly confused even as the announcement was bringing them back from their melancholy, “What are you-”

“We just gave you our words,” Charles interrupted gently, feeling just as nervous as the times he’d proposed to Emily and Delia, “We promised you we’d be there,”

“And we mean it,” Delia added, “Like I said, maybe it’s a bit too soon, but-”

They both dropped to one knee before the Maitlands and Charles pulled out two rings, handing one to Delia, which they held out to Adam and Barbara, “We’d like to show you just how much that promise means to us.”

“Are those-”

“Promise rings, yes,” the Deetzes nodded, “Will you do us both the honor of wearing them?”

And then, Adam and Barbara began to cry again. But this time it was tears of joy that trickled down their ghostly cheeks. They launched themselves into their partners’ arms, tearfully proclaiming their jubilant acceptances while peppering kisses all over the other couple’s faces. The clock striking from the center of town reminded them both that the Maitlands were out on borrowed time. But the walk back to their home was as light and happy as the one departing it. Perhaps moreso, with the promise rings tucked neatly on the Maitlands’ right ring fingers. Lydia and Beetlejuice were still not back from wherever their misadventures had taken them, and judging by the screams that occasionally reached the lonesome house on the hill they probably wouldn’t be for some time. The quadruple curled up on the couch and turned on the tv, watching some decidedly less than scary movies in celebration. And a big pile of love and tangled limbs was how Lydia found them when she too turned in for the night. A sight so disgustingly heartwarming she let Beetlejuice in for some cuddles of his own. Off in the distance, dawn began to break, Halloween was over, but the memories would last far longer than life.

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave a comment and let me know what you thought. Thank you so much for reading and I'll see you next time Netherlings!


End file.
